


Just Between Sisters

by swanqueengranger



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Mischief, Operation SwanQueen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-04
Updated: 2017-04-06
Packaged: 2018-10-14 16:41:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10540422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swanqueengranger/pseuds/swanqueengranger
Summary: Henry and Zelena working together to get Emma and Regina to acknowledge their feelings.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I just found this on my computer. Apparently I started working on it years ago and then lost it? Anyway, Emma and Hook are not engaged in this fic. They will be discussed, but this is a SQ story.
> 
> As always, I do not own these characters and I’m not making money off of this. They belong to Disney and ABC. I’m just borrowing them for a little while.

Regina spun around quickly, one finger pointed at the lounging form before her. Emma stepped forward, ready to throw a hand between them. Zelena was draped, arm elegantly splayed on the back of the couch behind her, martini glass gingerly dangling in her fingers. 

Emma could feel the tension in the air, but knew the scene was predatorily deceptive. The ease of the red head's stance could change on a second’s notice.

The brunette beside her was much the same on a daily basis, but at the moment, tightly controlled anger radiated off of her in waves. She was all too familiar with this body language. 

“He is just a fourteen year old boy.”

One shoulder shrugged slowly as the glass raised to painted lips. “So? When I was fourteen I certainly had to earn my place with everyone around me. I had to understand how the world works. I assume the Savior probably had the same fate thanks to a certain someone.” A pointed head tilt accompanied the singsonged last words. 

It took a second to process the words and Emma shook her head to clear the distraction of the scene before her and turned, “Hey, now wait a second…”

Zelena cut her off and leaned forward in the next instant and Emma could feel the shift in the room. 

“Just because you had the world handed to you doesn’t mean that he should pick up the same tendencies. Someone has to teach him the importance of purpose; life lessons. Who better than I?” With arms spread wide, an innocent grin graced the red head’s lips and just like that, she leaned back once more. 

Regina’s frustration was inching towards the limit and she stepped forward, pointing angrily at the insinuation. “Henry is already an incredibly intelligent boy! He's been through a hell of enough already.” 

Emma winced slightly at the tone. Zelena merely sighed and rolled her eyes dramatically before leaning back into the white couch with a dismissive wave. “Not arguing that. Maybe he'd like a little normality for a change. Honestly, you'd think I was saying he needs to be kicked out of the house. Ease up on the reigns, Regina.”

Regina felt the anger rolling in the flush spreading across her chest. Wide eyes turned to the blonde next to her and Emma quickly stepped forward, one hand laid against her outstretched arm before the situation could go further. Honestly, it wasn't an out of the way request, but she would be damned if she told Regina that. 

“What Regina is saying, Zelena…” She chanced a quick glance of consent from the brunette before continuing. Regina’s dark eyes slipped closed with a long exhalation of frustration. 

Seeing the moment of give on the former Queen’s part as the concession that it was, Emma continued. 

The red head tilted her head slowly at the exchange. Emma turned, a hand outstretched in a manner that one would associate with approaching a wounded wild animal. 

“Is that Henry is our son and doesn’t need anyone putting thoughts in his head about having to earn his place in the world already.” Another small glance at Regina found her arms wrapped tightly around her middle. “I think we all can agree he's already had enough responsibility thrust on him.”

Tense silence settled in the room momentarily as each woman remembered the experiences behind the weighted words.

It was the exasperated sigh of Zelena that broke the moment. 

“Fine. I’m sorry. Happy? I just want to spend time with the boy. He _is_ my nephew. And I haven't done anything wicked in ages, Regina. You've been given chance after chance to prove you've changed. Why can't I have the same?”

Emma raised her eyebrows silently to the annoyed brunette at the pouty statement. It was true, Zelena was trying her best and after everything they had been through in the Underworld, things _had_ seemed better between them. 

"If you don't want me around the little monkey all you have to do is say so. I just thought he may want to earn a little money and get to know his cousin."

Emma tilted her head as brown eyes searched her own. She could see the words weighing guiltily on Regina. This was not an unreasonable request no matter how annoyed Regina was with Zelena on any given basis, but she did completely understand Regina's hesitation. 

Emma heard the controlled inhalation from beside her and knew that Regina was trying hard to control her response. Undoubtedly a skill perfected by years of being a mother to their son. 

"Fine." With a thin lipped smile, green eyes sought brown before Emma turned quickly with a nod of her agreement. "But he is to check in with one of us every day and if you do anything ..." 

Zelena scoffed, apparently scandalized at the insinuation. Emma sighed and leaned back. She could already feel the situation diffusing and the weight of adrenaline began to push against her. Dealing with the Mills sisters was a difficult job to say the least. The shrill ringing of her cell phone cut the air around them and she sighed.

“I've gotta take this.”

Regina watched her cross the room and disappear from sight before closing her eyes once more. Zelena was right, of course. People had bent over backwards, Henry included, to give her chance after chance and goodness knows she didn't deserve it sometimes. She could understand her sister better than anyone, but her protective instincts when it came to Henry overruled logic. When she felt controlled enough to address her sister once again, she opened her eyes to a quizzical smirk dancing on the red head's features. 

Regina immediately tensed once more. “What?”

Zelena leaned forward slowly, the smirk turning to a grin as realization seemed to light in her eyes. Regina felt the frown tug further on her face. This couldn’t be good.

“Is there something going on I should know about?”

Confusion etched across her features before Regina cocked her head forward. “What?”

Zelena’s dark eyes darted to the doorway Emma had just vacated and cut back towards her sister with a gleeful laugh. 

The brunette felt her forehead knit in frustration. “Stop that. What’s wrong with you?”

True mirth seemed to settle on the redhead’s face as she leaned back once more. With one hand, she pointed the half full glass towards her younger sister. “I must say, little sister, I always thought one of us would probably be _influencing_ the savior, but I assumed it would have to be me.” Another laugh escaped the woman’s lips and she punctuated it with an impressive raise of her glass. “With that stick so far up your butt, I've got to say, I'm impressed.”

Realization of her insinuation was not lost on Regina and she couldn’t help but feel irate at the mirth it seemed to cause her. 

“You can get that out of your head right now. Em… _Miss Swan_ and I are just friends. Nothing more.”

Pursed lips hid a grin as her sister shook her head in clear disbelief, hiding her grin behind her glass once more. Irritation flared in Regina.

“What? You don’t believe me?”

The mirth never left her eyes as Zelena leaned forward quickly, “Well, the lack of necessity of words between you would appear to suggest otherwise, but by all means, I certainly have no reason to doubt you.”

Regina crossed her arms as her sister continued to smile as if she certainly did _not_ believe what she was saying. And suddenly, she was intent on winning this little display. She hated being toyed with. 

“Exactly. I know that you believe everyone must be in love with you, but some of us live in the real world." Brown eyes squinted at the statement and Regina waved her hand with a sigh. "As it is. Besides..." she paused, feeling irritation crawl up her back and she crossed her arms and looked back towards the door, "she still's allowing that pirate to fawn all over her for proof.”

Zelena raised her glass once more, cocked an eyebrow and sipped the contents slowly. Her eyes never left Regina as she tightened her arms. Unease settled in her chest at her own mention of the pirate. She bit down on the feeling and turned to her standby of irritation instead. With an angry sigh, she turned to the still grinning red head

“Why does it matter to you anyway?”

“Regina?”

Emma’s voice filtered into the room quickly and a blonde mess of curls leaned around the corner before Zelena could reply. Regina turned immediately towards her, eyebrows raised and arms still crossed. Green eyes knit in confusion at the stance and Emma chanced a glance between the two women before taking two slow steps into the room. She rocked back on her heels as she stared between them once more, green eyes finally landing on brown.

“Everything ok?”

The question was directed solely at Regina who stared at her momentarily, the mask she had perfected suddenly slipping from her face to reveal a small acknowledgment of surprise. She schooled it quickly and nodded. 

“Yes, of course, Sheriff.” 

Before Emma could do more than scrunch her brows at the sudden change in Regina’s demeanor and use of her title, Zelena leaned forward once more. “My sister and I were just discussing my necessity of an apology. One that I certainly owe you.”

Emma's eyes raked from Regina back to the red head with wide eyes. This was new territory and yet something inside of her was screaming trap. Zelena merely smiled, slowly crossed one leg, and held the drink aloft. 

Green eyes flitted across the vision in front of her momentarily, before Emma shook her head and forced a thin lipped smile. "Uhm, ok. Thanks?"

“Nonsense. There isn’t much that I know about this world and how things work, but one thing I _do_ understand…” This was punctuated with a direct eyebrow raise at Regina, who Emma felt shift uncomfortably more than anything. “is the importance of subtlety.” She leaned forward once more, a small smile on her lips as eyes locked with Emma’s. With one elegant raise of an eyebrow, Zelena leaned back and sipped her drink once more. Her eyes never left Emma's slightly confused ones. 

Regina’s eyes widened at the blatant move and she turned her gaze towards Emma. Surely she could see what was happening here? Emma's head was tilted to one side, studying the woman on the couch quizzically. 

Regina waited impatiently, her mouth all but opening in a scoff as Emma seemed to relax. She had determined that the situation was fine then. Great. 

Regina's eyes rolled of their own account, but she stopped the sigh from escaping her lips. Sometimes she forgot that Emma was indeed, Snow White's child.

Zelena spoke with glee as she leaned forward. “So, please, allow me to thank you for agreeing to let me spend time with my darling nephew with dinner. We can talk all about the things I should and _shouldn’t_ do in this realm.”

Emma hesitated momentarily, eyes squinted in confusion before she raised one eyebrow and leaned back. Her hands dug into her back pockets as she nodded. “Oook, sounds great.”

Regina’s wide eyes spun towards her before landing back on her now smiling sister. “That is, of course, if my dear sister is ok with that. I’ve gotten her perspective.” Dark eyes swung back towards the Sheriff and she smiled, “I’d love to get yours.” 

Regina felt Emma’s eyes on her expectantly but she couldn't tear her gaze from Zelena. Panic flooded her system at the gleam in the redhead’s eyes and the easy way that Emma had agreed, but when she finally turned towards Emma, all she saw was a wide, innocent look. 

Immediately, she forced a smile. “Of course.” 

Emma smiled quickly and rocked back once more on her heels. Regina recognized the stance as happy, hopeful and surprised as she shot Zelena a small smile. “Great. It’s a date, then.” Green eyes quickly landed on Regina once more and her smile softened. “I’ve got to run – situation at the station.”

“Everything ok?” Genuine concern laced the brunette’s words Emma waved her off with a smile. 

“It’s fine. Normal stuff.” She was already two steps back towards the door when she turned back, one hand pointing lazily. “I’ll see you later, yeah? I’ll bring Henry’s things by on my way…he sort of asked me to dinner tonight.”

Regina felt the chuckle before she could stop it and smiled at the shy hopefulness on Emma’s face. She knew that Emma had her own home now, but she figured the sudden unease of being alone was sometimes too much for the lifelong loner. “Of course. 8 o’clock.”

A genuine smile blossomed on Emma’s face at the agreement. Regina eased her arms loose and took a small step forward. “Try not to be late this time.”

Emma’s eyes twinkled softly as she mock saluted her, “Can do, your majesty.” At Regina's chuckle, she cast a quick nod at the still seated redhead, "Zelena."

Zelena raised her glass slightly to the retreating blonde and called, “Until our date, Sheriff.”

Regina stared at the doorway until she heard Emma shut the front door behind her and then immediately spun towards her sister, eyes flashing. 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Zelena smiled and touched one hand to her chest in innocence, “Showing my dear sister that I truly believe her, what else?”

Regina narrowed her eyes in distrust and opened her mouth. As she took one step towards the couch, Zelena sighed and pushed off of it. “Besides, if you’re not interested in the Savior, what does it matter?”

The words hit her square in the chest and her mouth snapped shut quickly. Zelena merely smiled, eyes innocent but dancing with mirth. She could feel a sigh welling up in side of her as she crossed her arms once more. “Fine.”

Zelena’s smile filled her face naturally as she raised the glass to her lips again and nodded. “Fine.” She drained the glass easily. With one step forward, she joined her tense sister in staring at the doorway that Emma had just vacated. A grin played on her lips as she leaned in to the brunette. “I've got to say, I'm happy that nothing is going on because just between us sisters, I can’t wait to show her what a _real_ woman can do.”

Regina's head spun immediately wide eyes taking in the smirking red head. Zelena winked once, dropped the now empty glass without a word into Regina's hand, and sauntered from the room. 

Regina watched her exit with something akin to dread.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a quick chapter as I'm killing time at work! I'll get some more substantial work on it up later this week!

“Wait, you asked my mom out?”

Henry’s mouth hung open momentarily as he stared across the diner table at his aunt. After she had informed him via text message that she had convinced his moms to allow him to hang out with her, (the guise being babysitting, of course – that had come with a lecture on the importance of strict attention when it came to babies from his mom and a two hour informational session from his grandmother) they had decided that today was the day to begin Operation SwanQueen (Henry’s name, much to Zelena’s protested disgust) and she had _already_ gone rogue. 

“Like, on a date?” 

Zelena looked up mid googly face at Robyn and scrunched her nose at his seeming inability to comprehend the news. Dear god this boy definitely needed to spend more time with her. 

“Is there any other sort?” Her eyes immediately went back to her cooing daughter and she began to bounce her on her knee once more. 

Henry sighed. 

“We’re supposed to be trying to get my moms together, not set you up.” 

She couldn’t hold the eye roll in at his proclamation. Honestly. “I’m quite aware of that, this is just a quicker way to go about it.” 

She punctuated the statement with a playful lift of her daughter who gave a particularly loud gurgle of excitement. 

Suddenly, her eyes darted back across the table top to him. “By the way, why the hell aren’t we trying to set me up? I swear, everything is about Regina.” The exasperated sigh left her mouth and Henry shot her a glare that she swore was completely compliments of her sister. 

“This was your idea.”

“Oh right.”

Another sigh forced its way from him as Henry leaned back in his chair. He had seen Ruby approaching with plates of food and decided it may be best to continue their conversation when she had left the table. 

“Alrighty, grilled cheese and fries for Henry.” She slid the plate in front of him and turned to the red head, “Cobb salad for Zelena with a side of applesauce for the munchkin.”

Zelena’s head snapped up immediately, a look of extreme distaste covering her features as she snatched up the spoon from the tabletop. “Do _not_ refer to my child as a munchkin. Those little buggers were hell spawns.” Two sets of eyes swiveled to her as she bounced Robyn once more on her knee. “What? You’ve heard otherwise, I’m sure.”

Ruby grinned slightly and wiped her hands on the rag hanging from her front pocket. “Way I hear it, they were merely good people trying to live their lives.”

Zelena rolled her eyes hard and picked up a glob of applesauce with her spoon. “Ugh. Don’t even get me _started_ on Dorothy. They were singing terrors.”

A chuckle followed Ruby as she spun on her heels and headed back towards the counter. Henry merely grinned and plucked a French fry from his plate. Honestly, his aunt was bull headed and had a flair for dramatically grandiose actions, but she was actually funny when you got used to her sense of humor. 

“So, why did you ask my mom out?”

“Because someone had to spark this little plan into motion and _your_ idea was hideous.” A raised eyebrow was thrown his way as she began to feed Robyn. 

“We hadn’t even star...” Henry paused, took a deep breath and popped the fry into his mouth. “Fine. How is you going on a date with my mom going to help them get together?”

Robyn gurgled happily as Zelena scooped up another spoonful of applesauce and danced it towards her mouth. “Because, my dear nephew, I’m not the only Mills woman who doesn’t like sharing her toys. Your mum will be so out of sorts that she’ll have to make a move or die of jealousy. Isn’t that right, poppet? Just die of jealousy. That’s right.” Robyn laughed happily at the high pitched voice from her smiling mum.

When Henry didn’t respond, Zelena looked up to see his stern, disappointed face. “What? I’m not actively rooting for that option. This _was_ my idea.”

He merely frowned to show his disapproval and picked up his sandwich. Zelena squinted in thought suddenly and turned her full attention towards him. 

“Which, now I think of it, means you should be bonding with your cousin by feeding her as I eat my lunch.”

Henry froze, sandwich half to his mouth, and nodded, dropping it back onto his plate. He reached across the table immediately for the girl and began making funny faces as he lifted her towards him. She broke into gurgling giggles instantly. Zelena couldn’t help it; she genuinely smiled as she slid the bowl of applesauce towards the boy. 

“You’re very good with her.”

Henry smiled as he tossed her a glance. “Thanks. I figure after sitting through a two hour lecture from Grams on all things baby, we better be best friends.”

Zelena’s eyes widened as she speared the lettuce on her plate with her fork. “Good god, and you’re still conscious? I imagine the only thing she prattles on about more than bird care is _her spawn_.”

Henry chuckled as he scooped a small portion of applesauce from Robyn’s face with the spoon. “She’s … passionate about the things she loves.”

“Yes, well, here’s hoping she’s so loving when our plan comes together. Although, it may be too much heartbreak when Emma ditches me and goes for my dear sister instead.” She paused mid bite and peered at him with a vaguely scandalized look. “That is _if_ she does. You don’t think she’ll fall in love with me do you? God, wouldn’t that be ironic.”

Henry chuckled once more and shook his head. “Let’s just try to make sure she admits she’s already in love with Mom before we go worrying about things that _aren’t_ going to happen.”

Zelena frowned deeply, one hand rising to press dramatically against her chest, as she speared another piece of lettuce. “You wound me.” Her smile grew as she leaned forward and dropped the hand back to the table. “I’m very proud.”

With another wide eyed playful look towards her daughter, she grabbed her water and hoisted it in toast to her grinning nephew.


End file.
